Cannibal
by uselessblanket
Summary: Haruka Ryu was your usual ghoul. Who happened to be a chimera. She also had a simple Enhancer Quirk. Maybe. Did we mention the raging temper she struggles to keep under wraps? She just wanted to be a normal ghoul, with normal parents and normal friends. But no, she just had to go and eat her parents (at their insistence, of course), become a big sister, and enroll at U.A High.
1. Prologue: Night of Hell

Haruka remembered the day vividly. How could she not, when it haunted most of her dreams, or danced in the back of her eyelids any time she closed her eyes? It was as if it had just happened the day before...

 _ ** **[Flashback to a four-year-old Haruka]****_

 _"Atta girl, Haru..." the voice of her cousin whispered in the darkness, "Eat up. No, no! Don't look! Don't look at what you're eating, damn it!"_

But she had.

 _"Cousin... what is this?"_

If only she hadn't.

 _"Haruka, I'm...I'm so sorry."_

Maybe she wouldn't have tried to do it. That one, horrible act that would plague her for the rest of her existence.

 _"Your parents...they said it was the only way for you to survive." A purple-haired male embraced the shaking child, ignoring the gore that she was covered in. "They wanted you to live, so they sacrificed themselves. I'm so sorry."_

She had eaten her parents that night. If was what they wanted. But she hated herself for it for years to come.

 _ ** **[Current Time]****_

With a cry, Haruka shot up in her small bed, chest heaving, sweat coming off her body as though she had just run two marathons. Images of her nightmare flooded her mind, and she buried her face in her hands, sobs raking her body. A familiar man with white hair burst into her room, worry coating his features.

"Oh, Haru..." He sighed when he saw her. He sat himself on the edge of her bed, pulling the teenager into his arms as he rubbed her back gently, soothingly. "Shh. It happened years ago. You're okay now."

They stayed the way the way they for a while, the man waiting until her sobs turned into hiccups, and she was drifting to sleep, before laying her back down. Grabbing a tissue from the box she kept on her bedside table, he wiped the sweat and tears from her face. Placing a gentle, cold hand on her cheek, he smiled. "Now, get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 0 1: Dragonsong

"A ghoul, huh? Seems perfect for a villain!"

"Look at her... she even looks evil."

"Wait, she's looking this way. SHE'S GONNA EAT US!"

The whispers were nothing new to Haruka. Even at the young age of five, she more than knew how people felt about ghouls. Monsters, they said. Creatures that deserved to die. Disgusting cretins. But...

"Why don't we finally end your pathetic little life, huh, ghoul?! Hold her down!"

There was always one...

"H-Hey you b-bullies! You l-leave her alone!"

No matter what, he came to save her.

"Or what, Deku?! You gonna stop me?! Little Quirkless Deku, trying to play hero!"

He was her savior.

"Someone has to, Kacchan! Nobody deserves this!"

Midoriya Izuku.

 _ ** **Ten Years Later****_

"Izu!"

A girl with long, silver hair rushed clumsily down the street, her black heels click-clacking loudly. Her long, black dress wasn't helping in the slightest, either- the damned hem keep getting tangled with the tips of her heels, and soon, she was sent flying to the ground, a sharp squeal escaping her lips.  
However, arms caught her fall, putting the teenager back on her feet and steadying her. The silverette smiled up at her friend sheepishly, her crystal blue eyes twinkling.

"Sorry, Izu..."

The green haired boy chuckled at her, a pink dusting his cheeks. "You're so clumsy, Haru." He hummed, cheeks darkening as she wrapped her arm around his, and walked with him. "S-so, are you excited?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm thrilled, especially now that you're here!" Haruka wiggled as they walked, excitement clear on her face. "Not only am I the first ghoul to be allowed to compete, but my best friend is here to cheer me on!" She bumped him with her hip, wiggling her eyebrows at his appearance. "Not to mention, he's lookin' pretty damn fine."

"H-H-Haru!" Izuku squeaked, his face burning crimson as he turned his head away. The shorter girl laughed. But she wasn't kidding; Izuku looked great wearing a tux, and she wasn't about to deny it whatsoever. "A-ah, whatever...here. I bought this for you."

His free hand reached into the pocket of his black slacks, and pulled out a small box. With a curious click of her tongue, the ghoul gingerly took the box, opening it to reveal a necklace. It was a simple silver chain, with a small, red spider lily charm dangling from it. "Oh, Izuku..." she breathed, running a finger over the flower. Tears gathered in her eyes as she smiled up at him. "Thank you so much!"

Standing on her tip toes, she pecked his cheek, and then went to work putting the necklace on. As she was finishing with the clasp, Haruka felt Izuku stiffen at her side. She thew him a curious look.

"Izu? What's wrong?"

"You invited Kacchan?"

She blinked, her crystal blue orbs clouding with confusion. Sure, in the past few years, the ash blonde and she hadn't been on such rocky terms, but she certainly hadn't invited him to this particular event.

"Nope. I don't remember inviting him here, anyways. He doesn't strike me as the type to like this kind of thing. Why?"

The greenhaired boy gently grabbed her chin, and pointed her head in the direction he was looking. Lo and behold, there was Bakugou Katsuki, rocking his own dark tux...with a sloppily tied tie. Haruka felt her eyebrows furrow- was he looking for something? Or maybe he was just in the wrong place?

"Kacchan!" She yelled out, making the boy next to her jump wildly. "Hey there!"

"Haru-" Izuku whisper-yelled, looking panicked as the angry blonde stomped his way over. The silverette shushed him, smiling up at her kind-of-but-not-really friend.

"Kacchan, what're you doing here?" She asked, tilting her head in her curiosity. The boy grumbled.

"Came to watch your show or whatever the fuck this shit is supposed to be." Noting the confusion in her eyes, he rolled his red orbs. "Not that I want to be here. The old hag and my pop wanted to come as a family."

"Oh! Well...still, thanks for coming!" The ghoul smiled again, and then gave him the stank eye. "Now, get down here so I can properly reach you."

"The fuck-"

"Kacchan!" She growled. Her eyes briefly flickered, and he obeyed with a loud huff, bending so that she could do whatever it is she was trying to do.

"You're shit at tying ties. Both you and Izuku. Jeez..." Haruka muttered, shaking her head as her fingers worked to fix Katsuki's tie. At the mention of Izuku, the ash blonde finally rose his eyes to meet the ones of the freckled boy.

"Speaking of...what the hell are you doing here, shitnerd?"

"U-um! H-Haruka invited me. Moral support and all that." Izuku smiled nervously, adjusting his tie, which earned a swat from the mentioned girl.

"Haruka also told you not to touch the tie." She murmured, finally finishing with Katsuki, who was glaring hard at the other boy. "What time is it?"

"6:15." The two boys answered at the same time. Izuku flinched at the heated glare from the explosive boy, but nothing was said as Haruka gasped.

"Really?! I need to go, then! I'm on soon!" Once again standing on her tip toes to kiss the cheek of Izuku, and then ruffling Katsuki's hair, she grinned at their pink faces. "Talk to you guys after the show!"

The auditorium seemed to hold its breath in silent anticipation. Haruka had finally appeared on stage, her seat taken before a grand piano. Her fingers reached up to brush the pendant that was nestled at the base of her throat, before falling to the black and white keys that seemed to sing to her. As she began to play the opening notes to the song she had chosen to play, the girl struggled not to softly sing the words that went along with it. Dragonsong was one of the few non-classical pieces that she had listened to, and it was one of the even fewer that she had enjoyed. She supposed, in such a high-class pianist competition, it was unusual to _not_ play an old classic, but...well, she was the first ghoul to be allowed to grace the stage, so why not make it memorable?

As she played, she began to sink into her thoughts. Memories. Haruka's red painted lips turned upwards at most of them. Her favorite, though, was from just last week.

 **\- Flashback -**

"Why do you play that thing?" Bakugou Katsuki had peered at her, aimlessly tapping away at the keys while the two spoke. Haruka shrugged.

"Because. It is everything I wish I was- beautiful, and full of opportunities. A piano also speaks the mind of its player. Imagine this: a love goes unwanted, and it leaves the person full of grief. If that person were to play the piano, they could...let out all that love. Sadness. It could be played away, for all the world to hear. Emotions make such beautiful melodies, you know."

The ash blonde rolled his eyes at her. "That sounds so stupid-"

"Hush, you."

"-But it doesn't surprise me to hear you say something so sappy. You're a fucking weirdo."

"Why, thank you, Kacchan!"

For a moment, there was nothing to be heard, except the soft playing of the pianist. And then Katsuki spoke.

"Will you teach me?"

 **\- End Flashback -**

Haru never did start teaching the boy- he was entirely too shy, it seemed, to really sit down and learn. It was...cute. But she wished he would allow her to teach him. As angry as he was, he must have had a lot of other emotions he needed to express.

She sighed as she reached the ending few notes. With the final keystroke, the room was in a stunned silence. Did a ghoul, a flesh eating monster, really just let loose some of the most beautiful music most of these folks would ever hear?  
Knowing this was the question they all silently asked, it only made the thunderous applause that much better. She rose, moving as gracefully as possible, giving the onlookers a curtsey that would rival those given by true royalty. With a gracious smile and wave, Haruka made her way off the stage, immediately met with the arms of her best friend.

"Haru, you did fantastic!" He squeaked in her ear, giving her a squeeze before releasing her from the hug. "Most of those people in there were crying!"

She beamed up at the boy, giggling at his look- he had tears in his eyes, too! "Looks like they weren't the only ones." She teased, reaching up to wipe the tears away. He blushed a bright red, and stammered out some sort of response, but stopped when the clearing of a throat was heard. Turning their heads, the two were met with a boy with a bouquet of flowers for a head.

Wait a second...

"Kacchan?" Izuku and Haruka spoke at once, but it was the silverette that moved towards the explosive boy. Katsuki peered at her from behind the flowers- spider lilies, to be exact. A mixture of red and white.

In case you were wondering, dear reader, spider lilies were favorites of our dear Haruka, and that fact was no secret.

"Here." Katsuki grunted, practically throwing the bouquet at the girl, who barely managed to catch the precious cargo. "Sappy flowers for a sappy girl."

It was silent for a moment, before Haruka chuckled, and reached over to hug Katsuki, bumping noses with the boy. "Thanks, Kacchan! They're lovely." She hummed, pulling away and skipping back to Izuku, who was glaring daggers at the ash blonde. In a blink, though, his expression was once more a pleasant smile, which made the ghoul second guess what she had seen- because her Izu was too sweet to look so harsh, right?

The rest of that night flew by swiftly, after that exchange. Haru didn't win first place at the piano competition, but she did get third, which still marked her as able to get a violin accompanist and compete in the next competition. Not that she planned to- she had every intention of beginning her training to get into U.A High around the time that the next competition was to start.

Ah, yes. In all her years of being told she was more of a villain than a hero, of being told that ghoul's weren't meant to be heroes, Haruka had come to a decision that had played a hand in every action since then:

She would not only be the first ghoul to get into U.A ever, but she would also surpass all the other heroes- including All Might.


	3. Chapter 0 2: Tragedy

The next day went by in a flash, all the way up until the very end of the school day, when Haruka was walking from her classroom, to Izuku and Katsuki's classroom. On her way inside, she slammed into the said ash blonde, having not been paying attention, and was surprised when one of his hands reached out to steady her.

"Watch where you're going, cannibal." Katsuki snarled, moving past her in a hurry. His lackies, after casting swift, fearful glances in her direction, followed him. She watched with pursed lips. She was fond of the boy, yes, but...those two realized that Katsuki didn't shit out the sun himself, right?  
Rolling her eyes, she skipped into the classroom and, spotting her friend, went right over. Not noticing how distraught he was just yet, she flung her arms around the boy, humming a greeting. He gave her head a pat, almost absently, which is what finally got her to take a good look at his face. And what she saw made her gaze darken.

"Who did it? You want me to eat them?" As if to prove her point, the whites of her eyes bled into a black, the irises turning a dark red, with the usual shattered-glass look around them. Now, normally, most people would cringe away from this sight, or even scream and straight up run. But Izuku didn't- he never did, and that was probably what led Haruka to befriend him in the first place.

"Haru," he sighed, "Its fine. It was just...my notebook."

"I'm sorry, your what? You mean, that thing you write all your hero studies in? I'm gonna fucking eat whoever did it."

"Do you even know what happened?"

"...No. But that won't stop me."

Izuku finally cracked a smile, which had Haruka relaxing her expression. She grabbed his hand, and tried tugging him out the door, looking back up at him with her normal, crystal blue eyes. "Come on. Lets go get ice cream or something on the way home."

"But..." The greenhaired boy peered at her, "You can't eat ice cream. Ghouls can't eat normal food."

That simple fact made the ghoul's heart ache. It was true, but she was determined to make her friend feel better before they got home. "Myth! I can eat anything that you can eat. Now, come on!"

"Alright, alright!" He let himself get pulled out of the school, stopping only to get his notebook from the small fish pond out front.

The duo spoke little on their way to town; Haru hummed a soft tune, and Izuku listened, almost completely content. If it had been any other girl, he'd be a blushing, stuttering mess, surely. But the two had known each other for many years, and he had time to get used to her constant physical affections. Hell, he even came to enjoy it when he felt her cool hand wrap around his warm hand.

"Haruka," Izuku suddenly started, "would you ever-"

"A good body-"

"Huh?"

"To make the perfect host!"

Suddenly, as they were passing through a little tunnel under a walkway, a large slime thing came out of the sewers. Haruka stared at it with wide eyes- how had her nose not picked up on such a grotesque looking thing? And without thought, she shoved her Quirkless friend out of the way. Activating her kagune, she felt the appendages grow from her shoulders.

"Ukaku!" She heard Izuku whisper from behind her. She felt her eyes roll- he was such a little nerd.

"A ghoul, huh?! I'll dispose of you quickly...or maybe I'll just use you as a host instead!" The slime creature yelled, lunging at her. Both wing-like appendages bent from her shoulders, hardening in order to act like shields to block the light attack that had come her way. And in immediate retaliation, she let a few shards fly from her wings; knowing she had no real way to damage his body, she aimed for his eyes, getting lucky enough to land two shards of her RC cells into one of his eyes.

Pissed, the slime screeched wordlessly, and rushed the girl. While the ukaku kagune was good for long ranged type things, or being able to keep fights short, they were rather...weak. Which was why Haruka was unable to stop a full-forced attack, shoving her further down the tunnel, slamming her head into one of the walls. And the last thing she really saw then, was the villain grabbing a fearful Izuku, and forcing itself into his body.

"Have no fear, for I am here!"

"Hey! Come on, kid, wake up!"

"Izuku!" Haruka shot up, eyes wide as she scanned the area, totally and completely ignoring the fact that the Number One Hero was standing right in front of her. When her blue orbs landed on the still unconscious form of her friend, she scurried right over, hands flying over his body. "Fucking fuck shit, fuck. Damnit! I'm sorry, Izu-chan..." Her lower lip trembled as she remembered seeing the slime thing trying to take over his body. "I'm so weak...fuck!"

"Now, now, civilian!" A large hand clapped her shoulder, "You're not weak, I'm sure! You managed to blind him in one eye, which is saying something! Ha ha!"

Finally realizing that it was All Might who was with them, the ghoul fought the urge to fangirl her friend awake. Instead, she forced herself into a calm demeanor. "You caught him, right?"

"Why, of course I-"

"Haruka?"

The sound of her friend's voice flooded Haruka with relief, and she scooped the stirring boy up into a tight hug. "Izu-chan! I'm so sorry!" She wailed out, "Are you feeling okay? Do we need to go to the hospital?!"

"N-no, Haru...I'm fine. Was that-?"

"Well, it looks like you're in good hands, boy!" All Might, gave the two a thumbs up, "Now, I must be off! A hero must fight not only against villainy, but against the clock, as well!"

"W-wait!"

"Now, stand back! I'm taking off!" And with that, the mighty man leapt into the sky. The silverette shrugged, and turned back to Izuku- only to find that he wasn't there?! Peering into the sky, she shook her head.

"My best friend is a fucking lunatic." She muttered, getting to her feet. "Did he even see that All Might signed his notebook? Oof. Well, I suppose I should go after him, like a good friend..."  
She had never actually tried to fly with her ukaku, but it could be possible, right? At least, not completely impossible.  
Allowing her kagune to emerge once more, she spread them like wings. Crouching down, the ghoul took a deep breath, and then launched herself into the air...and then fell on her ass.

"Well, fuck you, too." She huffed, pouting. If someone threw her, it'd probably work. Gliding seems more plausible than actual flight.  
Shrugging, Haruka turned away, ready to simply go home. As she wandered along, she pulled out her phone, texting her green haired friend, letting him know that she had gone home. Didn't want the worry-wart to worry too much.

Unfortunately, on her way home, the ghoul happened across a rather...odd scene. It was a man and a woman, screeching at one another, with a child stuck in between. When she saw the familiar bow in the hair of the child, Haruka immedietly knew the family; they were regulars at her place of work, a cafe called Anteiku.  
The child, a little girl named Kaori, noticed the prying eyes of the teen, and snuck away from her parents, rushing to hug Haru's legs.

"Big sister!" The girl whisper-shouted, "Please let me come with you!"

Kneeling down, the silverette gently rubbed her head. "I don't think your mama would appreciate that very much, sweetheart."

"Please!"

"Ryu!" Suddenly, Kaori's mother, Ai, appeared before the two, looking...ruffled. "I'm so sorry about this; little Kaori doesn't like her dad much, but he doesn't seem to get the picture." She smiled, sheepish, "Actually, do you mind if we talk to you, hun?"

"O-oh! I don't mind at all, ma'am And I thought I told you to call me Haruka." The teen rose and, after letting Kaori grab her hand, followed the woman, to a nearby cafe that _wasn't_ Anteiku. Seating themselves at an outside table, safely under the shade of an umbrella, Ai looked at the teen seriously.

"Listen, R- I mean, Haruka. I'm a little worried about Kaori's dad...he's unstable. And being as we don't have any family in the area, I was wondering..." Ai took a deep breath, grabbing Haru's hand and holding it tightly. "If something happens to me, please take Kaori in; take care of her!"

Haruka's eyes widened, "M-Miss Ai!"

"I know, its a lot to ask of a girl your age, but- please! You're one of the most well behaved girls your age, and you're so good to Kaori! And she just loves you to bits!" The woman went as far as to fall to her knees on the ground, making Haru feel more than a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. "Take her home for tonight, please, and just think about it. Please?"

The little girl in question jumped on the teen, hugging her tightly. "It'd be so much fun to stay with you, onee-chan!" She sang, which ripped at Haru's heartstrings.

"Fuck- fuck! Okay, Miss Ai...but only for one night!" She stared hard at the woman, placing Kaori on the ground. "But before we make anything official- do you even know what I am?"

"Of course I do, which makes you an even better choice; a ghoul for a guardian and big sister? Perfection!"

"Jeez...alright. Take her home, and get an overnight bag ready for her. And give me your phone number and address! I need to know where to drop her off tomorrow."

The two females went over details and specifics, the younger of them nervous as all hell. She had babysat for a few other ghouls before, but to actually parent a kid? Just thinking about it gave her stress hairs!  
But...for a mother like Miss Ai, who was a simple human that almost adopted Haruka when she found out about the silverette's parents, to want Haruka in particular to take Kaori under her kagune- it was nothing short of a small honor, and the ghoul had no doubt that she'd take the child in without a second thought, if the time came.

Haruka wandered a bit, glancing at her phone every few minutes, waiting for the text that would tell her to go pick up the little girl. She was debating on stopping by Anteiku for a quick bite to eat, until she heard a sudden scream.

Instincts kicked in, then, and she rushed towards the sound- only to see a familiar blob of slime. _'The same one that All Might caught?'_ The thought made her frown slightly, but upon looking closer at the fiery scene before her, her eyes widened in complete horror. It was the reason the area was in such disarray, and had so much fire.

"K-Kacchan!"

Beside her, Izuku appeared, having forced his way to the front of the crowd just as she had. Taking one look at his expression, and she knew exactly what he was planning.

"Izuku," she started, pulling him close so that he would hear her over all the yelling and explosions, "I'm gonna throw you right to that fucker. Do whatever you can do to keep him distracted."

He looked at her, eyes wide and terrified, but nodded anyways. Her RC cells kicked in, and at the same time, she did something that she hadn't done in years- activated her Quirk, Enhancer. Grabbing Izuku's hands, she took a deep breath and, with a grunt of effort, spun in a circle once, twice, letting her friend's body gain momentum as his feet left the ground. At the third turn, she released him, launching him right for the slime-thing.  
Making sure to keep her Quirk going, she felt her kagune burst from her skin, and she jumped into the fray as well. Izuku was keeping the slime well distracted as he tried in vain to claw Katsuki out, which allowed Haruka to run up a wall, and jump over the creature. Once she was above his head, she roughly pulled down the right wing of her ukaku, launching multiple shards at the monster, narrowly missing the face of her ash blonde kind-of friend. Immediately straightening out her kagune, the ghoul managed to glide over to the opposite wall, twist to land on her feet, and do it again.

Her actions persisted until, finally, a shard struck gold, and landed in the creature's eye. It screamed with a watery voice, finally extending a slimy hand up to grab the ghoul's ankle, and sharply toss her to the ground, towards the crowd- and a giant figure.

"Have no fear," the familiar, heroic voice cried out, "for I am here!"

Haruka was slowly getting tired of hearing that.

Izuku was eventually tossed away, as well, which gave All Might the only opening he needed. With a simple Detroit Smash, he not only scattered the villain, but changed the weather- a brief spout of rain graced the sky, before sunshine took over.  
A low whistle left Haruka's lips, before she realized that her phone was vibrating. Clicking her tongue, she answered without checking the caller I.D., jumping to her feet when a scream filtered through the speaker.

"HARUKA-!" Miss Ai screeched. Then there was a gunshot. Then...silence.

The ghoul was on her feet and sprinting towards the woman's house in record speed. With her Quirk still activated, the ghoul got a major boost in speed, though she was sweating bullets, thanks to her being out of practice with her Quirk. Despite that, she was at the house in a matter of minutes, and when she got there, she didn't hesitate to quite literally burst through the door. As she skid to a stop, she met the hard, angry eyes of a familiar man- Kaori's father. In front of him was Ai, lying lifelessly on the floor in a puddle of her own blood. Kaori was huddled over her mother, terror coating her face.

"I'll kill you for this." Haruka's lips moved without her realizing it, the man give her a twisted grin.

"Not before I kill you, girlie!" He laughed, before whipping the gun up towards her head, and firing. Any normal human would have died, but she wasn't normal, nor a human.  
Two tails had burst from her back, around where her spine ended, RC cells hardening as they shielded her body from the bullet. not wasting a moment, two more tails shot out, and rushed to grab the confused man, wrapping him tightly. Bringing him close to her form, the ghoul leaned around him to look at the child, forcing a bright smile onto her face.

"Kaori, sweetheart, go get your bag, okay?"

The child, terror still washing her face, looked at Haruka and nodded, leaving her mother to go do as she was told. When she came back, the silverette had her wait outside the house, so that she wouldn't see what was about to happen to the man she had called father.

The moment the door was shut, there was a loud crunching of bone, a scream of horror, and the sound of someone tearing into flesh.


	4. Chapter 0 3: Idol

**\- One Month Later -**

"Big sis! Lets go out to eat tonight!"

Kaori stared up at Haruka with stars in her honey-brown eyes, her long platinum blonde hair in tangles. She had just rolled out of bed, and already had more energy than a hummingbird. It made the still-groggy ghoul wince.

She needed coffee.

"We'll see, Kaori." Haru muttered, shuffling past the young child, "Go get ready for school."

The girl pouted, but hopped off to do as she was told, Haruka watching her with pursed lips. Only a month ago, she had witnessed the death of her own mother, and seemed to know the fate of her father- but she was still the happy child the ghoul had first met. It was baffling. The only time she had ever actually shown sadness was whenever she was asked about that night.

Shaking her head, the silverette went back to her own room, grabbing her school uniform from its place on her vanity, and tossing it onto her bed. Undressing, she caught sight of herself in her full-sized mirror, and stopped. For the first time in a long time, she looked at herself. Wavy silver hair that reached just below her knees, with a strand of her bangs deciding to curl in such a tight corkscrew shape, that the tip reached her chin.  
Her body was one that any woman would be proud of; slender and curvy, with a full bust and a wonderfully shaped ass. The only downside? She was short- at least 5'4. Not intimidating, until one took a good look at her. Subtle muscle definition hid in her fair skin, and each flex only made it a bit more prominent. However...  
Turning, and looking at her back, she sighed. So many scars, and even a few new, pink lines. For years, she had thrust herself into rigorous training, trying in vain to become one of the strongest ghouls, without her Quirk.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone sucking in their breath. Crystal blue eyes met wide, honey-brown ones.

"Sis, what happened to your back?"

"Its nothing, Kaori." Quickly pulling on her uniform, Haruka smiled at the child. "Wanna braid my hair again?"

"Yes, please!"

"H-Haruka, you're still wearing that?"

"Of course I am, Izu. It's one of the nicest things I've ever owned, its a spider lily, and my best friend gave it to me!"

Touching the red flower pendant resting at her throat, the silverette grinned at Izuku, giggling at his blush. They were walking home- or, rather, she was walking him home. The ghoul still needed to pick Kaori up from sch-

"BIG SIS HARUKA!"

The screech made Haruka jump a foot into the air, though she was quickly brought down to the ground when a familiar blonde child tackle-hugged her.

"K-Kaori?!" She squeaked, returning the hug, "What are you-"

"I found her outside of the school, looking anxious as hell. Said she really needed to talk to you, cannibal, so I brought her."

Katsuki glared at the two teens, ambling up to them- though stood closer to the female, to keep away from the male. Regardless, Haruka smiled, giving him a quick side hug.

"Thanks, Katsuki. I really appreciate it. Now," Kneeling down to Kaori's height, Haruka stared at her curiously. "What's up, kiddo?"

"I want you to become a hero!"

"No."

The response was instantaneous, the girl's jaw set in anger, eyes icier than a glacier. Kaori's shoulders sagged, disappointment written on her face. The two boys stared at Haruka curiously.

"Why not, cannibal? Finally realize you can't hang with the best of the best?" Katsuki sneered, keeping up his angry hedgehog act. Haru rolled her eyes, rising to face the boy.

"I can't waste my time protecting a population of humans that are more interested in seeing me and my kind dead. Not when there is someone that really needs my protection. Now, if you'll excuse me, I told Kaori that we'd go out to eat tonight." With a curt bow, the ghoul grabbed the hand of the child, and tugged her away.

The night was silent between the two- Kaori was nursing the wounds of instant rejection, while Haruka struggled to remind herself that she needed to flush her dreams down the toilet, thanks to the addition of her home. Things would have been different, if her parents were still alive. Or even if there was a suitable babysitter for the kid. But there wasn't- no one that Miss Ai would have approved of, anyways.  
When they got home, just before the child went off to bed, she looked at her new guardian, frowning.

"Haru," she said softly, surprising the ghoul at the usage of her name, "Why can't you become a hero?"

The question made Haruka's bottom lip quiver, but she smiled gently at the girl, and kneeled before her, grabbing her hands. "Your mom entrusted you to me. I have to take care of you, and make sure you're safe, which means that I... I can't become a hero. It would take up too much of my time. Maybe if my cousin were here, things could change, but he's in Tokyo. I'm sorry, Kaori. I know you used to love helping me come up with the hero names and the costumes, but I- I just can't."

For being so young, a six year old, Kaori was wise. Must have been her mother's DNA. Grabbing the ghoul's hands, the girl stared hard at her elder. "Sis, you shouldn't not be able to shoot for your dream job just because of me. Will you please call your cousin, and see if he'll come here?"

Everything in her screamed to say no; it wouldn't be responsible of her. But-

The puppy-dog eyes.

Her one weakness.

 _ **'Fuck...'**_

"Fine. Okay. I'll call him in the morning. But don't get your hopes up!" Haruka pointed at the blonde, playfully narrowing her eyes. Kaori squealed happily, throwing her arms around the teen in glee.

"Yay, yay, yay! Okay, I'm gonna go to bed now, so that it can hurry up and be morning! Goodnight, Sis!"

"Goodnight, little one."

The next morning went surprisingly well- after calling her cousin in Tokyo, she was pleased to hear that he would happily move to Hosu to help with the newest addition to their family. After that, Haruka decided to go for a run, so she dropped Kaori off at a friend's house, and jogged to a nearby park that happened to have woods on one side. Currently, she was hunting down the god-awful sound of someone singing. After so many years of being, to put it lightly, musically inclined, knowing someone couldn't hold a note with their voice pained her. And her ears. A lot.

Following the sound, she soon found herself behind a group of girls, facing a smaller group of guys, surrounding what looked like another girl. Her face was red, and she looked ready to cry as she sang along with music that came from a small boombox, causing the others to cringe.

"Oi," Haruka scowled, stalking right up to the girl, "Your pitch is all wrong for this song. Either lower it, choose a different song, or stop. Please. I _so_ cannot take this anymore."

Her words made the girl flinch, and finally burst into tears, running off towards the park. The ghoul sighed, shrugging. "Waste of talent. She could have been good."

"Hey!" One of the girls strode up to Haruka, grabbing a fistful of her shirt and pulling her close, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?! She was our last chance at having a full group!"

"Get your hands off her!" Another girl rushed over, shoving the other away from the silverette. "You don't recognize her?! That's Haruka Ryu! You know, the crazy good pianist?" Shaking her head, she turned to look at the ghoul, stars in her eyes. "You're, like, an idol, okay? First ghoul to ever be allowed to compete in a competition because of her sheer skills alone! Ah, I wanna be like you one day!"

"Please...I'm nothing special..." Haru rubbed the back of her neck, blushing gently, before smiling a bit. "You're a ghoul, too?"

"Yeah!" To prove it, the girl released her kagune, the appendage coming from just under her shoulder blade and wiggling at Haruka like a noodle-sword. "See?!"

"Koukaku. Cool." She smiled, before glancing at the rest of the two groups. "So...what exactly did I interrupt?"

"Only the formation of the best idol group Japan has ever seen." The first girl deadpanned, "Soon enough, we'll rule the Americas, too."

"Pfft-" Haruka giggled, "If that last girl was the best chance you had, you're fucked."

"So honest!" The other ghoul gasped, her kagune slinking away as she pressed against the silverette. "Hey, wanna try to sing for us?"

"O-oh, I shouldn't... I'm trying to get into U.A., you see, and-"

"First ghoul competitor and first ghoul to get into U.A! Ooh, so inspirational!"

"Hey, no worries, really." A dark haired boy appeared next to Haruka, smiling. "I'm trying to get into U.A., as well. So we'd have the same schedule, if we both got in. General studies?"

"Hero course, actually."

"Woah! Ghoul hero!"

"So cool!"

"Even I can admit that its a cool idea..."

The rest of the afternoon was spent getting to know the group- or, rather, the three that she had been speaking to. Apparently, they were the leaders of their little idol group. The mean one was known as Usui Shizuka, the ghoul girl was her sister Usui Misaki (how they were siblings and only one was a ghoul, Haruka would never know). The boy, who turned out to be a human with a super cool Quirk, was Makoto Rei.  
Truthfully, they were all sweet- even Shizuka, if one could get passed her rough exterior. Which Haru could easily do; she was kind-of-but-not-really friends with Katsuki, after all.

"Hey, I'm gonna be training for the next few months." Rei clapped the silverette on her shoulder, smiling. "You know, to get into U.A. Wanna join me?!"

"Sure!" She tapped her lips, thinking. "It'll be a few days or so before my cousin gets here, actually, so I might not be able to join you right away..."

"That's fine. Really. Just let me know when you're good to go, and we'll set up a schedule."

"Okie dokie!" Pulling out her phone, she glanced at the time. "Actually, its time for me to go pick up my, uh, sister. So, I'll see you guys around!"

"More like tomorrow." Misaki smiled, "You said you work at a cafe...and I am so there."

Haruka chuckled as she jogged off, racing for the house that she had left Kaori at. The child was already waiting for her, smiling brightly as she leapt at the silverette, giving her a tight hug.

"Hello, Kaori." She hummed, returning the hug. Though when she pulled back, she noticed the expression that had been hiding under Kaori's smile- tears had gathered in her eyes, and her nose was slowly turning red. Haru's breath caught in her throat, her fingers gently grasping the trembling hands of her 'younger sister'. "What happened?"

By the time Kaori had finished telling the story, Haruka was trembling along with Kaori- though, not from fear. As the teenager strode towards the door, banging her fist on it as though she were the devil come to collect a soul, her eyes were hard with anger. Anger didn't even cover it, really- she was furious.  
The door opened, a panicked middle-aged woman at the door.

"Miss Haruka! Is everything alright?!" She gasped, fear clouding her expression when she realized just how angry the teenager was.

"No ma'am, everything is not alright." Crossing her arms, she glared hard at the woman. "Were you aware that your children have been beating up Kaori because of who she lives with?"


	5. Chapter 0 4: Monster

**\- Three Weeks Later -**

"Haru, come on! Its cold, and we still have like, forever to go!" Rei pouted at his still sleepy companion, who simply pouted at him, her feet dragging as she struggled to keep up.

"You could have given me five more minutes to wake up." Haruka grumbled, "But noooo. I haven't even had anything to eat yet..."

"You can eat when we get back. And you'd been up for an hour before I got there, your cousin said so! Lazy girl!" he laughed at her, before stepping back to grab her arm, tugging her gently along. She clung to him like her life depended on it, pressing especially close so that she could keep heat.

"Anyone ever tell you how yummy you smell?" Haruka asked absently, sniffing the air around the boy, "Kind of spicy, but really sweet, too. Kind of like, if I had to put a scent to the word Christmas, you'd be the smell."

His lips twitched as he glanced down at her, his arm winding around her shoulders. "Christmas, huh? So I'm only seasonal?"

"Nah! You're year 'round, Rei!" She grinned at him, reaching up to gently pat his cheek. They both froze, though, when they heard a voice- one that was fantastically familiar to the girl.  
Removing herself from Rei's arm, Haruka shuffled over to the nearby path- it wasn't on their usual running route, but it wasn't that far away, either. And what she saw made her frown.

"...That's not the only reason though, All Might." Izuku was saying, looking down as he spoke to a blonde man, "I have a friend. My best friend. She's...she's a ghoul. And because of that, sometimes I forget that she's my friend. Sometimes, I think she's just a monster. So, I want to become a hero to protect her from others...but also to protect others from her. Because of the monster that I sometimes see."

Haruka didn't hear the man's reply, nor did she hear what Rei was saying to her as he tried to pull her away. He knew who this boy was, and what he meant to the silverette. Which meant he knew how much his words pained the girl.  
Before she knew it herself, her feet were moving towards the duo, lips trembling as she struggled to hold her tears in. Clenching her left hand into a fist, she brought it up fast, connecting her knuckles with his cheek, and following through with the punch.

"H-Haru?!" He yelped, stumbling back a bit from the impact, holding his already swelling cheek and staring at her, shocked. The man stared at her as well, equally shocked.

"A monster, huh?" she croaked out, glaring hard at the boy, "You see me as a monster? You haven't seen a monster, Izuku, but since you already think you see one...maybe I'll give you a monster." Haruka's eyes shifted then, the blood red pupils glowing against the black of her eyes. "I'll give you someone that the people should fear." Turning on her heel, she stalked away, Rei readily on her heels, his arm returning around her shoulders.

"Are, uh, are you okay?"

"I want to go home."

"Of course, Haru. Come on."

° · ° · ° · ° · ° · ° ·

The next day at school, Haruka avoided the green haired boy like he carried the plague. She stuck close to Katsuki, which seemed to do wonders alone. And while the blonde boy didn't seem to care too much initially, by the time lunch rolled around, he finally questioned her.

"Cannibal, why the fuck are you hanging around me so much? Why aren't you hanging with that loser, Deku?" He scowled at her. Though, he flinched a bit when she returned his annoyed look with a completely blank expression of her own.

"I apologize. I didn't realize it was outlandish to want to spend time with another one of my friends." She noted the tick in his jaw, but before he could speak, the ghoul had risen from her seat, kicking the borrowed chair back to its proper place, and removed herself from the classroom. As with Izuku, she avoided the explosive blonde.

Closing herself off from the two most important people in her life- much like another ghoul she knew.


	6. Chapter 0 5: Trials

The silverette stood before U.A with a scowl. A rather bad habit, really; one she must have picked up from the excessive time spent around Shizuka. The months that passed since the last time she spoke to Izuku or Katsuki had been, in most ways, very unkind to the teenager. Exhaustion that never seemed to fade created dark rings under her eyes, and a jagged scar had been made over the left corner of her mouth- from just above her upper lip, to under her bottom lip. A sparring accident, from Misaki.  
Each move Haruka made was laced with pain; a combination of intense training and slight starvation, though she did well to hide it, save for the quick flashes in the blue hues of her eyes.

"Hey, Haru!"

Turning towards the gates she herself had just passed through, a smile curled her lips. Shizuka and Rei strolled towards her, smiles on the both of their faces. The tall boy grabbed the short ghoul, wrapping her in a tight hug and spinning around. "Its been too long, Haru!" He whined, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Shizuka shook her head, trying to not laugh at the horrified expression on the silverette's face.

"You saw me just the other day, Rei. Now please, put me down! I'm gonna hurl!"  
Thankfully, the boy complied, stopping his spinning to place her feet on the ground, but he didn't release her. Instead, his arms tightened.

"You look like shit." he said softly, "When was the last time you ate properly?" Silence. Rei sighed, shaking his head as he pulled away to almost glare at her. "Eat right, later. I mean it. I'll-"

"You'll do nothing." Shizuka brushed by the boy, looping her arm through Haruka's. "She hunted with Misaki, but my sister is gone now, so she just needs a new routine." The redhead gave the silverette's arm a pat. "Don't worry, Mel." she grinned, using her sister's old nickname for Haruka, "I got this."

"Yeah, okay." Haru attempted a smile, but a familiar mop of green hair, followed by spiky ash blonde hair, caught her eyes.  
Haruka sucked in a breath as she watched her old friends; Izuku had filled out a bit- her trained eyes noticed the subtle way his clothes seemed to fit him much better. Katsuki, too, though he was always improving, so that wasn't too much of a shock.

As always, the ash blonde barked harsh words at Izuku, though they didn't seem nearly as harsh as they used to be. He strode past the greenette, and as he closed the distance between himself and Haruka's little group, she shuffled behind her tall friend, using the poor boy as a shield. Which, of course, put her in the direct line of Izuku's vision.

"H-Haruka!" he yelped out, taking a few shaky steps toward her. But, cutely enough, he tripped on his own two feet- and Rei came to her rescue.

"Quickly now, come on." He murmured, quickly guiding the two girls into the school. Shizuka, having been told the story of what had happened between Haruka and Izuku, kept shooting glares at the greenette, who had been saved by a nice looking brunette.  
There was a thick silence that lasted until they reached the doors that led to the room they were supposed to meet in for the hero course testing.

"Is it too late to turn back?" Shizuka muttered, her arm tightening around Haruka's. Rei grinned over at the redhead, and ruffled her stylishly messy hair, taking out the style and leaving the simple mess.

"Way too late. Lets go take our futures by the horns, bitches!"

"Whaaaat's up you crazy listeners! Welcome to the U.A entrance exams! I'll be your host for today, everybody say HEY!"

"HEY!" Haruka, Shizuka, and Rei yelled in unison. Around them, a few people jumped wildly, one of them even falling out of their seat. Because other than those three, and Present Mic, the room was silent.  
The trio were stared at in shock by most of the other examinees, but none of the three let their excited grins falter. Rather, they seemed to grow wider, especially when the exam 'host', pro hero Present Mic, looked at them with a smile and a thumbs up.

"Now that's the U.A spirit I love seein'!" he cheered, before addressing the rest of the room. "Now, I'm about to go over the rules and whatnot for your exam, ya dig? ARE YOU READY?!"

The moment the three friends sucked in their breath to answer, the poor people around them tensed up.

"Y E A H!"

"ALLLLLL RIGHT! This is how the exam will go:"

Behind him, on a screen that was probably brighter than Haruka's future, showed boxes labeled A through G.

"Today, you'll all be going through mock cityscape battles! Make sure you're prepared, because after this presentation, you'll all be heading to your assigned exam locations!"

"Bitchin'." Shizuka murmured, studying the little card in front of her. "We aren't all together, are we?"

"Nah." Rei leaned over, showing the two girls his own card. He was in the same cityscape as Haru, thankfully for her. "It seems less likely that they'd put two people that were in the same class, in the same testing grounds."

"Makes sense." The redhead shrugged. "Whatever."

Present Mic continued, halting their quiet conversation.  
"Alright now, lets look at your targets!" The boxes disappeared, replaced with a little 'cityscape', and three shadowed 'targets' around it, each labeled 1, 2, and 3 points. "There are three types of faux villains in each testing area, points are based on their level of difficulty. Choose your targets wisely!" Haruka hummed as she listened, eyes glinting in slight confusion- there were four villains on the handout they had received. What was the deal with the last one?  
"Your goal for this exam is to use your Quirk to destroy as many villains as you can, increasing your score as best as you can! And of course, remember to stay heroic: playing the antihero and attacking your fellow examinees is absolutely prohibited!"

"No shit." Shizuka snarled under her breath. "I hope someone tries to attack me, though."

"You're not the one starving." Haruka mumbled back, earning a snicker from the redhead.

"EXCUSE ME SIR!" A boy stood up, arm rigidly in the air as he stared hard at the pro hero. "I have a question!"

"Hit me!" Present Mic boomed, a spotlight highlighting the boy who, by the way, looked like he had a giant stick rammed up his ass.

"On this printout, there are no less than _four_ villains! With all due respect, if this is an error on Yuuei's part, it is more than shameful! We are amazing students, hoping for nothing less than the best from Japan's most exemplary school! Mistakes like these won't do! And _you!"_ He spun around, pointing to a shocked looking boy- Haruka noted, with a snort, that it was Izuku. "You have been muttering this whole time! And you three!" He turned his finger to Haru, Shizuka, and Rei, "You've been shouting a lot! Its distracting! If this is a game to you four students, then please leave!"

"What the fuck did this shitstalk just say?"

"Eat him, Mel."

"S-S-Sorry!" This was Izuku's squeaked reply.

Haruka scoffed, getting to her feet. Another spotlight shone on her as she scowled hard at the boy. "I beg your pardon, little boy, but its not our fault that the stick in your bottomside is rammed so far up that you didn't notice how our host," she gestured to the hero up front, "was awaiting answers from us." She raised her chin, bangs sliding to the side of her face as she gave him the scariest look she could manage, without changing her eyes. "Speak that way to me and my own again, and we'll have a real issue."

Vaguely, she could feel her two companions shaking with silent laughter, and she could see the shocked gazes of her two former friends, but as she sat back down, flicking her hair over her shoulder as sassily as she could, she didn't care.

The spotlight over the ghoul disappeared as Present Mic spoke again, looking more than bewildered. "Alright, alright. Examinee number 7111! Great catch! The fourth villain type is worth zero points- its a gimmick! I recommend my listeners do your best to ignore it and focus on the ones that will help you top the charts!"

Its a shits and giggles target. Cool.  
Haruka wanted to squash it.

"Thank you, sir!" He gave a curt bow to the hero, cutting the ghoul an odd look before he sat back down.

"That's all I got for you today!" Present Mic said loudly, "I'll sign off with a sample of our dear school motto- as Napoleon once said, a true hero is someone who simply overcomes life's trials. Are you guys ready to go beyond? Lets hear a good PLUS ULTRA!"

Those two, simple words lit something within the ghoul. Something she had lost the day Izuku called her, in so many words, a monster. But now, here, staring her future in the face, it was ignited again. Because this was it- today, she, unlike so many other ghouls, was going to go beyond. Not only her own trials, but the trials set before her because of the rest of her race. Today, she was going to tell the general population to suck a dick, and break boundaries the CCG had set in place so many years ago.

Today, she was going to become a hero.

Plus fucking ultra.


	7. Chapter 0 6: Trials pt2

**[Haruka's PoV]**

Standing before the doors to the 'cityscape' we'd be testing in, I breathed deeply. Rei was doing simple stretches beside me, a constant reminder that, no, I wasn't dreaming.

"You've got this, Haru." he suddenly said, rubbing the small of my back; it was all he could reach, being as he was sitting on the ground. "We've been getting ready for this for almost a year, you know? We're more than ready. You, especially. I know how much training you've put in for this, and the lengths you've gone." I flinched slightly, at the reminder. "We're gonna nail this shit."

"I know we are." I replied shortly, reaching up to unzip my jacket. The more I stayed bundled up the way I was, the hotter I got. "I'm not even worried."

"Liar."

"Shut up."

"H-Haruka?"

The voice made us both stiffen. Tossing a glance over my shoulder, I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised to see Izuku; after being seen earlier this morning, a confrontation was bound to happen. But knowing that, I still wasn't prepared. Just looking at him, with his nervous face and flushed cheeks...

It broke my heart all over again.

But I didn't let him see it. Swallowing my feelings, I turned to face him, dropping my hands, allowing one to rest on my hip. "Can I help you, Midoriya?"

It was his turn to flinch. I guess he wasn't expecting such a chilly reply. Which was crazy. Did he expect a monster to be a kind person?

"I-I just, um, wanted to say, y-y'know..." he stopped, fidgiting for a moment, watching as Rei got to his feet so that he could wrap a secure arm around my shoulders. It seemed possessive, I know, but he was nowhere near being boyfriend material. He was big brother material. "Good luck." Izuku sighed, looking...defeated? "That's all. Just...good luck."

"Good luck." I said softly, scoffing. "Keep your luck. Its bad form to give it away to a monster, right?"

He flinched again, and went to reply- but my lips were trembling. My own feelings betrayed me. Stupid tears... Rei stepped in.

"Stop it." he said quietly, dangerously. Blue sparks danced around his fingers as he glared at the greenette. "You've hurt her enough, don't you think?"  
And with that, he stormed off, taking me with him.

 **[Third Person PoV]**

"Don't let him get to you." Rei told the silverette, tugging her towards the very front of the group. They'd be the first ones inside. Stopping, he gripped her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Remember to keep that lid on your emotions, yeah? Just forget about him completely. And, Haru?" He waited until she met his gaze, "Breathe."

She sucked in a breath, huffing it out. Reaching up to wipe her tears, which had began to fall, she nodded. And slowly, she became numb. It was a routine they had; she would start to get worked up, slowly losing control of her own emotions, and he would calm her down. Rei was like a walking numbing ointment, or something.

"Now, here. I want you to use my Quirk, and only my Quirk, for this test."

Ah, yes. The discovery of Haruka's real Quirk.  
In the beginning, reader, if you recall, Haruka's Quirk was a simple Enhancer one. However, once she began to train with Rei and the Usui sisters, she discovered a very important fact about her Quirk: it was as monstrous as she. Devouring a piece of a dead person did very little for her Quirk- however, if she were to take a bite out of a living person, she would temporarily inherit their Quirk. The 'Enhancer' she thought she had was simply the base of her Quirk.

"You mean, you don't want me to show these people what I am." It wasn't a statement. She scowled hard. "I'll use the traits I was born with, thanks." Now a bit miffed at her own friend, she strode away from him, rolling her shoulders.

"FIVE SECONDS TO START!"

The voice was abrupt, and it made everyone rush into their starting positions. Haruka didn't even bother stopping before the doors; her feet carried her past the crowd, black bleeding into her eyes. Just as the doors opened, her kagune bursting from her back. Various surprised sounds (and screams) sounded behind her, but she payed them no mind as she launched herself into the air, towards a few robots. Jerking her right wing down, she watched it harden, the shards flying off in the direction she aimed them in.

The shards landed in the head of one of the robots, and she angled herself so that she managed to land on the shards, digging them in. An extra round was shot in, just for good measure, a smirk lighting the ghoul's face as the robot began exploding under her toes.  
Using the explosion as a propelling force, she turned towards her next foe, grabbing its head with her hands. The momentum kept her body going, though, resulting in her flipping. The head of the robot ripped off its metal shoulders, and she used it to start pummeling the next closest robot.

A few others that had slowed their own attacks to watch her, sweat dropped a bit.

"She's brutal." One of them muttered. Another snorted.

"Of course she is. She's a fucking ghoul; a monster!"

"Monsters can't be heroes. Why is she bothering? She should just go become another villain. It's what her kind do."

She would not let them see how much their words stung her heart.

For the second time that day, she vomited.

The first had been when she initially started testing, and it had been pure nerves, mixed with the animalistic need to destroy everything in her way. It was a base savagery that she had rarely known before.

Now, as she leaned on a building for support, bile flowing from her mouth, it was because she had overused her own Quirk, and she simply didn't have the strength to keep it down anymore.  
Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, she wiped the sweat from her forehead before wiping her mouth, almost missing when the ground began shuddering and shaking under her feet.

With wide eyes, the ghoul turned her head, facing the giant robot with wide, almost excited, eyes. That excitement, however, disappeared the moment she went to rush it, and toppled over, lacking the strength it took just to move her legs.  
' _Shit,'_ she groaned, _'I can't move! Am I going to get ran over in the fucking exam? Seriously?!'_

Fate must have heard her inner bitching, because almost immediately, a mop of green hair had launched itself at the robot, aiming a punch for its fa- wait a moment.  
Mop of green hair?

"MIDORIYA?" She screeched, watching as the veins in his arm glowed red, the fabric of his shirt tearing with the sheer power he was exerting. That alone confused her; he didn't have a Quirk, so what the fuck? But besides that, his legs flapped likebhair in the wind, nastily broken. And whenever he landed his punch square in the face of the robot, taking it down with that single blow (queue the confused inner _'WHAT THE FUCKDJXKAODNAKXKSJS'_ of poor Haruka), his arm flopped the same way-

-And he began falling swiftly to the ground. Not doing anything to stop his own fall.

"Shit!" The ghoul groaned, "Shit, shit, shit!"  
Both of her kagune burst from her skin at that moment, and she scraped together the fumes of her Quirk, struggling to her feet. Once there, she didn't risk pausing and falling back to the ground; using her tail-like kagune as a sort of grappling hook, she clawed her way up the building she was previously leaning on. Reaching the ledge of the building, she paused, watching the falling boy carefully. When he reached a certain point, she launched her body towards him, crashing into him with a force that had them spinning to the ground.

"H-Haruka?!" He squeaked in her ear, clearly confused. The ghoul hissed at him, telling him to shut up as she clutched the boy to her chest, her tail splitting into four pieces. Those four pieces, plus her wings, attempted to awkwardly wrap around the two, hardening, forming a semi protective shield.

"This is gonna hurt like a bitch, Izu, but we'll survive." She said shakily, opting out of telling him that she was going to be taking the brunt of the damage, anyways, because despite ignoring the shit out of him, she just knew he'd be furious for risking herself to protect him. Instead, she held onto him tighter, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Impact came quickly, and as predicted, Haruka took the brunt of it. They landed on her back, simultaneously knocking the wind out of her lungs, and shattering her kagune. With a wheeze, she pushed the heavy boy off her chest, struggling to get her breath back. None of the other participants came near her; they did, however, crowd Izuku. Frantically dodging feet, the still gasping girl rushed out of the way, scrambling back until she landed in a pair of familiar arms.

"Don't yell at me." She muttered, allowing the boy to turn her body so that he could slip his arms under her knees, carefully lifting her up bridal style. "I'm too tired to explain myself."

"I imagine." Rei replied, shaking his head in disappointment as he took in her figure; the bags under her eyes were prominent, and she was literally shaking in his hands from the over exertion she had forced herself to do. "Rest. We'll feed you when you wake up."


End file.
